Replacing the Switching guide

[Phil Bull]

Hi guys,

The Switching from Windows documentation is pretty out of date nowadays,
so I'd like to try and replace it with something more useful this
release cycle.

I'm not sure that the single-document format that we've been using is
appropriate any more. “Switchers” are a diverse group of people, which
makes it difficult to target one document to all of their needs.
Instead, I propose that we write different documents based on different
needs.

Help with installation
------------------------------
Installing a whole new operating system is a daunting task for the
uninitiated, and there is plenty of scope for confusion. There are
multiple installation methods available, serious risks (e.g. data loss)
and some technical aspects (partitioning) that users are likely to have
problems with. Common problems include burning ISOs incorrectly, cryptic
error messages associated with hangs and crashes, hardware not working
after installation and Windows dual-booting issues. See [1].

There are two distinct needs that I see here. The first is guidance
through the installation process, to make the process seem less like a
leap into the unknown (novices) and to bypass common problems (novices
and more experienced users). I think that this would require a
step-by-step guide, divided into several key stages and written in a
simple and accessible manner. Novices would be expected to read the
guide linearly, potentially working through it as they perform the
installation. More experienced users might be expected to skim the guide
looking at the brief overview of the process and paying more attention
to information on potential stumbling blocks that they might not have
anticipated. The use of images would be desirable, to allow those using
the installer to recognise key points in the installation process while
reading the manual, and to feel friendlier to novices.

The second need is that of in-depth troubleshooting information. We need
to provide a reassuring lifeline to users who've had their installations
messed-up, so that they aren't stuck with a useless computer and a
lifelong hatred of Ubuntu. It would be easiest to cover the
troubleshooting of broad classes of problem (e.g. "screen is blank"),
providing diagnostic advice and common solutions for each.

Familiarisation
---------------------
People who are used to Windows may find certain facets of Ubuntu
confusing at first (e.g. user privileges, package management), and may
find it difficult to find their way around. These users may find some
sort of introductory information useful.

We have lots of good material relevant to this in the system docs
already. I propose that we re-work the "New to Ubuntu" section to cover
this more successfully. At the moment, it's just a few links to vaguely
relevant topics. We should perhaps organise the section in terms of a
"tour" of the desktop and commonly-used features, plus specific tips for
Windows users.

Common customisations
-----------------------------------
It seems that much of the documentation that new users use [2][3] is
related to installing a small set of common "extras" to vanilla Ubuntu,
such as Flash, wine and MP3 support.

We already cover these in the documentation, but perhaps we should
collect the information together for easy access?

Data Migration
---------------------
The original SFW guide had a strong focus on data migration. It seems
that this isn't such a big issue to most users though! We should just
ditch this coverage.

Summary documents
------------------------------
I think that there is a place for extremely brief, one-page summaries of
each of the above topics, which can be printed and handed-out with the
Ubuntu CD for example. The full-length documentation would be more
useful (and more beginner-friendly), but I think that we can reach more
people with stuff like this.

I'd be interested in hearing all of your comments/suggestions on this.

Thanks,

Phil

[1] - http://ubuntuforums.org/forumdisplay.php?f=333&order=desc
[2] - http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/
[3] - http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Intrepid

-- 
Phil Bull
https://launchpad.net/people/philbull